January jobs take typical plunge

Almost every business sector cut jobs in the San Antonio area in January, but the resulting 11,200 job loss was described by employment officials as typical for the month.

Alamo WorkSource spokeswoman Eva Esquivel said in the prior two Januaries, the monthly job count plunged by 11,300 and 11,800 respectively. Most of the cuts this year – 5,900- came in the sector that includes retailers, who normally reduce staff after the holidays. The professional and business services sector, which has grown strongly through the year, lost 1,300 jobs in January, while hotel and restaurant operators, who also feel the pinch after the holidays, cut 800 jobs.

For the 12-month period ending in January, the area workforce grew by 24,200 jobs, a 3 percent growth rate that would be welcome if it can hold up. The local economy is expected to add jobs through the year, although at a slower pace than recent years.

San Antonio and Texas are expected to outperform the national economy. The nation recorded its first job reduction in more than four years during January, fueling worries that a recession had arrived. The national numbers differ from the local count in that seasonal trends, like holiday hiring, are factored in to U.S. calculations. Local numbers don’t get that treatment.